Auto signal device



G. E. THIMMES AUTO SIGNAL DEVICE Filed oct. 14, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. E. THIMMES AUTO SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Oct. l4 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGE E. THIMMES, OF MECHANICSVILLE, IOWA.

AUTO SIGNAL DEVICE.

' Application filed October 14, 1924. Serial No. 743,529.

To all whomv it may concern: Be, it known that GEORGE E. THIMMES, afcitizen of the United States, residing at Mechanicsville, in the county of Cedar and State of Iowa, has invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Auto Signal Devices, of which the following is a spec fication.

The present invention relates to direction indicating signals more particularly for use on a vehicle. I

An object ofthe invention is tov provide a direction signal which has a plurality of selectively operable indicator arms'embodying a casing for normally housing and projecting the arms and a novel guide member carried by the casing in 'a peculiar manner, so that the parts maybe easily assembled and the guide member may be swung 1nto open and closed positions for gaining access to the interiorof the casing for assemblirig the parts, makingadjustments and repairs and replacements. 1

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a device of this character which embodies relatively few parts capable of being economically stamped and which presents a rigid and durable structure. I I 1 A further object of the invention is'to provide an improved operating device which may be jv located in spaced relation'to the signal casing and in position of easy access to the operator of the vehicle. y

A still further object of the invention is to provide a signal casing which is capable of being supported along one of the uprights of the wind shieldof a vehicle in position, so as not to interfere to any practical extent with the line of vision and at the same time to support the signal arms in such manner that they maybe easily and readily observed when brought into signal position.

With the fore oin andother objects in In the drawings, wherein like symbols.

refer to like or corresponding parts out the several views,

Figure 1-1s aside elevatlon of a portion throughof motor vehicle having a signal device constructed according to this invention ap-. plied thereto.

adapted I .Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through the same substantially on the line 22 of Figure '1, and showing the interior construction'of the signal box and its parts.

Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal section takenthrough the upper end of the signal box substantially. on the line 33 of Fig- Figure 4 is a similar view taken through the lower end portion of the signalbox or casing substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2. V y j a Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the upper projecting portion of the signal casing substantially on the line 55 of Figure 2. i

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section-taken through the operating device for selectivelyactuating the signal arms, and

Figure, 7 is, a transverse section taken through the intermediate portion thereof substantially on the line 77 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the body ofa motor vehicle or'the like to which the signal device is adapted to be applied. The vehicle 10 is shown as being an instrument board 11 of the usual type and provided with a cowl 12 extending forwardly from the wind shield 13.

The signal device includes a box or cas-.

walls of the casing 14 and adapted to sup port a cover 16 which is hinged at 17 to theupper edge ofthe rear wall of the cas The'wings 15 preferably have stepped ing. outer edges and the cover 16 is provided with a correspondingly shaped depending flange 18 arranged to extend across the wings and may have inturned edges for overlapping the same. The lower step of thefiange 18 .is provided with a pair of vertically slidable bolts or pins 19 upon the lower ends of which is mounted a transverse, buffer 20 comprising a sultable frame with a strip of felt 21 or other suitable shock absorbing material across its lower edge. The cover 16 may also be provided with a lamp housing projectingupwardly and outwardly with the open side of the housing directed downwardly in position to reflect rays from a lamp 23; ontosignal arms or devices when projected from the housing 1st.

As. shown in Figure 5 the cover 16inay be locked in closed position by pins 24- carried upon the upper ends of leaf springs '25 fixed at their lower ends against the inner opposite sides of the wings and which normally urge the pins 24 outwardly through registering openings formed in the wings 15 and in the depending lateral flanges ot' the cover 16. The springs may be pressed inwardly by finger pins 26 carried'upon the springs and ei-ztending outwardly through and beyond the wings 15 for receiving pressure from the fingers or thelike.

The casing 1 1 is provided with a plurality, of indicating arms2 mounted to independently turn upon a transverse tube 28 extending between the sides of the casing .4 in the upper end thereof and near its outer edge. A rod29 passes through the tube 28 andis secured in the side walls of the casing for supporting the tube. and the tube 28 has spacing washers 3O thereabouts between the arms 27 to maintain the same in properly spaced relation in the casing. The arms 27 are normally held in suspended position and within the casing 1aeach by a helicalspring 31 secured at one end to its arms 27 and at its other end to the top of a combined guard and spacing member later describedand carried in the housing l ''l-.

The lower end' of the spring 31 is attached to its arm 27 by a hook 32 the bill of which is directed outwardly and upwardly. so that the spring may be easily detached from the arm 27 when de ired.

The combined guard and spacing-member is preferably formed "from a single length of metalsuitably cut toprovide spaced vertical bars 33 having slots therebetween ot a size to permit the free operation of the arms 27. the plate or sheet providing the bars 33 being offset inwardly at the lower endof a casing by a hinge lip 34 which is hinged at 35 to the outer edge-and lower end of the casing 145 as shown in Figure 2. The bars 33 incline upwardly and outwardly when in normal position, so as to at all times engage th opposite sides of the intermediate signalling arms 27 and thus maintain the same against undue vibration or binding in the casing. The bars 33 are each reinforced by inturned flanges or edges 36 torn'iing fiat bearing surfaces to engage the sides of the arms 27.

The upper ends of the bars 33 are connected together by a horizontal cross piece 37 integral with the bar structure and which is adapted to seat against the under side of the cover 16 when the latter is closed and which is relatively narrow and provided with an inclined guard 38 at its rear edge. The guard38 is similarly constructed to the front plate structure forming the bars 33 and isinclined downwardly and toward the back wall of the casing and has a lower edge portion adapted to project beneath a clip 39 secured to the rear wall of the casing 14. The. guard member 38 is relatively short and is adapted to receive in the slots thereof the heels or inner ends of the signal arms 27 and thus steady the same at the upper end of the casing. The slots in the guard member 38 correspond'in number and position to the slots between the bars 33, so as to engage the opposite sides of the signal arms at their upjjier ends at all-times.

The signal arms 27 are .each provided with a bail 10 pivoted at 11 to its respective arms 27 at a point above andslightly to-t-he rear of the tube 28. The bails 10 extend downwardly beneath the guard 38 and normally lie at the rear edges of the arms 2? and have springs 41 attached thereto which in turn are connected to wires or cables 42 which extend downwardly through the open bottom of the casing is.

The casing 14 may be supported upon a special bracket 43 of triangular cross section as shown in Figure 2 with a plate having upturned flanges 15 adapted to engage upwardly within the bottom of the casing 14, the plate 44 having at itsinner edge an attaching flange 4.6 adapted to be secured to the cowl 12 of, the vehicle in any suitable manner. Thelower end of the bracket 43 is provided with an attaching flange or portion 4-? adapted to lie flat against the cowl 12 and be secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The plate 4 1 is thus supported in a substantially horizontal position to maintain the casing 14 in upright position. The casing is further secured in place by a bolt 4-8 which passes through the inner side of the casing 14 and through the adjacent frame part of the wind shield 13 as shown to advantage in Figure 1.

The plate t tterminates in spaced relation to the inner end of the bracket and provides an opening through which the wires or cables -3 may freely pass, and the cowl 12 is also provided with an opening 49. so that the cables 42 may be carried within the, cowl. The lower end of the casing is provided with rollers over which the cables 4-2 may pass to maintain the cables in spaced apart positions, and the cowl 12 is provided upon its inner side and atone side of the opening 49 with a roller 51 to recei're the cables 42 thereover, the cables 51 being carl 2 Ci of the casing 53 near its upper end and forms-a guide for a plurality of pull rods 55 which extends through the partition 54 and through the top of the casing 53. The pull rods 55 have rings 56 upon their upper ends to facilitate grasping of the same by the fingers and the rods are normally urged downwardly by springs 57 which surround the rods and are disposed between the partition 54 and adjustable collars 58 arranged upon the lower end portions of the rod. The" rods have notches 59 in their edges adapted to interlock with the top of the casing 53 when the rods are pulled out to the desired extent for holding the rods in such position until itis desired to release the same.

The lower ends of the rods 55 are provided with inwardly extending arms 60 WhIClI overhang the'opening through the lower end of the casing 53 and for direct attachment to the cables 42, so as to draw the same directly over the roller 52 on the instrument board 11 In operation it 18 only necessary to draw the selected rod 52 upwardly through its casing 53 and lock the rod in such position by the notches 59. When the rod 55 is drawn upwardly the corresponding cable 42 is drawn over'the' rollers 52, 51 and i 50 and the corresponding bail 4 0, i d w downwardly in the housing 14.

This action swings the respective signal arm 27 outwardly through the guard and spacing member; into a horizontal position and jar is absorbed through the felt 21. The spring 41 may extend under abnormal pressure so as to prevent injury to the parts. The signal arms maybe provided with any suitable indicating indicia such as is shown in Figure 2 where the adjacent arm 27 has an arrow 61 pointing toward the free end ofthe arm'and the latter also has the letter L as shown at 62 toindicate left, or the direction shown by the arrow 61.

The casing '14 may also have a felted bulfer 63 in its lower end and secured to its rear wall to receive the-arms 27 there against when they are in lowered position The springs 31 are adapted to maintain the arms 27 in frictional contact with the buffer 63.

In order to gain access to the interior of invention without departing the casingiti is only necessary to unlock and raise the cover 16 and to then force the combined guard and spring member outwardly at its upper end away from the clip 29 in the back of the casing and disengage the spring 31 from the arms 27. The guard member may then. be swung forwardly and downwardly upon its hinge 35. The guard member is made in one piece. The casing is made in a second piece and the cover is made in a third pieece, constituting the body part of the device and in which the other elements may be easily and economically assembled.

The illustration in Figure 1 shows the bars 33 fitting tightly against the arms 27 but of course any suitable spacing may be provided to permit the arms to freely operate and also to permit the outward swinging of the guard member when gaining access to the interior of the casing 14.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted the following claims.

What is claimed is g 1. An auto signaling device comprising a casing open at one side, a plurality of indicating arms pivoted in the top of the casing and adaptedto normally hang down 'within the casing, and a combined guard and spacing member pivotally secured to the lower end of the casing and adapted to be swung upwardly into the casing, said member having slots therein adapted to receive the indicating arms and through which said arms may be operated, and a .cover for the casing arranged to overhang the upper end portion of said member for holding said member in raised position in the casing.

2. An auto signaling device comprising a casing open at one side and having a hinged cover, a guard member closing the outer side of the casing and having hinged connection at its lower end with the casing,

from i the only by the scope of said lower end of the guard member being offset forwardly and the upper end portion inclining upwardly andoutwardly when in raised position, said cover having a depend-' ing projection at its forward end adapted to overlap said member and maintain the same in the casing, means for locklng the cover in closed position, said member having slots through which said indicating arms are adapted to engage to permit free operation of the arms'and to maintain the same in spaced relation.

'3. An auto signaling device comprising i a casingopen at one side, a plurality of inv dicating arms pivoted in the casing, means or selectively upcmfing the arms, a guard men'mei' pwotally nmuntefi I: the open slde 1 T the casing, means on the cover arranged to overhang the guard member whendosed to nmiutuil Lion, and individual spring de .1 my ihc gmlfal member enmth the lndxcutmg arms in nor- 10 In tesfiztmnfy hereof 1 ME my signature.

mzfily urgv the SEIEUQ 1M0 retractedposition.

GEOR GE E. THIHMES. 

